Altsounds - Rachael Dunn [Live] @ Baby Blue, Liverpool

For the very exclusive bunch of enthusiasts who always wondered what life would be like if Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell were born out of the same egg, there’s hope on the horizon. Of course it is a bit of a cliché to come up with old acts to describe a new one, but there is something about Rachael Dunn that really does remind of the likes of Ms. Bush and Ms. Mitchell. Like Kate Bush, Rachael Dunn is blessed with a voice that goes right through you and makes everything that surrounds you immediately irrelevant. The sounds coming out of her mouth takes over the room and changes the atmosphere to one of serenity and peacefulness. Like Joni Mitchell, she accompanies her personal songs by a very natural, expressive and calm way of guitar playing.

Furthermore, like both of the ladies, she doesn’t need all the attention that comes with being a musician, she just happens to be on stage with an instrument. In fact, it almost seemed that she didn’t want any attention at all. When the lights went down she just stepped out of the audience, introduced herself and each of her songs with a soft speaking voice and just let the music speak for her. Sadly enough the audience wanted to speak for themselves as well, which contributed to a strange mix of beautiful sounds on stage and small talk off stage. So that by the time the music finally won over four out of the six songs had already been performed. Only last song ‘Falling Fast’ and its predecessor ‘Hide’ got the attention and the silence it needed. Because despite the initial disinterest most of the audience showed at the beginning, she did win them over in the end and she needs to be praised for that.

Rachael Dunn clearly deserves more, a more appreciative audience and certainly more time to shine. She’s not the one who will speak that out loud though, which is – apart from her serene and moving music – another reason to pay a lot more attention to her.

Setlist

Out in the Storm
Walking Backwards
All About You
Hang in Time
Hide
Falling Fast